1961 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II

Our fine-looking Silver Cloud II left Crewe in 1961 and was first registered in July of that year. Records show that the car left the factory in “red” paintwork. We can only assume that was a deep burgundy shade rather than a very un-Cloud-esque bright red. It subsequently transitioned through a black and silver, two-tone livery before being first painted in its current white in 1993.

Considering the car’s 62-year history, it has had a mere four owners from new. The current owners acquired it in 2004 with the third owner buying the car in 1992. By a process of elimination, we can deduce that the first two owners racked up 31 years of ownership between them. Such extended periods of ownership can only bode very well for prospective future owners of this car.

In terms of mileage, the earlier MoT history suggests that our car passed 99,999 miles in about 2012. Given the current odometer reading of 10,608 miles, this implies the car has been lightly used in the last ten years to sit at 110,608 miles currently. This equates to less than 2,000 miles per year, on average.

In its current ownership our car has been used as wedding transport by a well established and respected Chauffeur company. It is reportedly a favourite on their fleet having got many blushing brides to the church on time. Given the importance of reliability in this crucial role, the current owners reportedly lavished £22,000 on the car in 2019 to bring it back to the required, high standard.

Our car carries a non-transferable and desirable 1 JTB (Just the Bride) number plate which comes with the car……..as it’s non-transferable!

Blatchford’s allegedly hastily sketched design may have played to the board’s more traditional bent, but there is no denying it is a fine, sophisticated and stately looking car. Old fashioned, maybe, but its design is essentially that of a scaled-up sports car. Drink in that elegant side profile and you see an almost unfeasibly long bonnet and a tapering roofline resulting in surprisingly short rear doors. It’s one of the reasons that the car looks especially good in two door form.

Our example looks sublime in its Antique White colourway. The £22,000 spent in 2019 included a professional respray in the hue it first acquired back in 1993. The paintwork seems to have been evenly and appropriately deeply applied and exudes a lustrous shine. A fine, painted double red coachline runs along the bonnet sides, across both doors before parting to encompass the rear door handles. It is all very classy and Cloud-appropriate.

The bodywork looks equally well presented with no note-worth dents, dings or deformations noted. Panel gaps look reasonable for a 62-year-old car, but some misalignments can be seen on the driver’s door and in a handful of other places.

The front of the car is a particular highlight of Blatchford’s design. The famous Pantheon grill dominates, as is only right, and looks enormous in this iteration. It is well known as a highly successful optical illusion with the vertical slats wider in the middle sections so as they appear perfectly straight to the human eye. Of course, this is topped with the Spirit of Ecstasy which has adorned Rolls Royce grills since 1911.

Add into this heady mix the big steel wheels disguised behind the chromed and painted hub caps complete with “RR” embossing and coachlines. It’s a beguiling car to feast the eye on and is sure to be a real head turner and conversation starter.

The interior of our car appears to be in its original condition and, as such, exhibits a charming level of patina and character. Considering the car’s overall footprint, the cabin is surprisingly compact. Both rows of seats consist of full width benches. These are upholstered into vertical box pleats, and both have fold-down, central armrests. These present in an oxblood hue and, in our opinion, are endearingly patinaed.

To accompany the obligatory Connolly leather there are several cubits of walnut veneer in evidence. This adorns the bluff dashboard and the door caps. In the rear cabin it also finishes the delightful, fold out picnic tables and accompanying ashtrays. The vanity mirrors situated in the C pillars are also edged in walnut.

Carpets appear to be the original, burgundy hued items and have been protected with deep and luxurious lambswool rugs. Door cards and headlining are all in decent shape and seemingly highly original. The dashboard is scattered with white on black Smiths gauges and chromed switches and buttons. The original, large but slender Bakelite steering wheel is present.

The large boot is trimmed with a fitted and hard-wearing ribbed carpet. The spare wheel is housed under the boot floor and a tool roll is in evidence. The open boot affords us a small glimpse of the car’s original red hue on the nearside latch of the lid. One for all you “carchaeologists” out there.

The big news delivered with the arrival of the Silver Cloud II was the fitment of the 6.2L V8 to replace the earlier 4.9L straight-six. This upgrade greatly aided mid-range performance and top speed, if not fuel economy. It wasn’t all positive, however, with some contemporary commentators pointing out that the V8 was neither as smooth nor quiet as the straight six. The “V” configuration is also a pretty tight squeeze in an engine bay designed for a lower number of cylinders in a straight line. The power output was quoted as “adequate” or roughly about 200bhp in today’s money.

This adequate power is relayed via the smooth four-speed General Motors Hydramatic automatic gearbox to the rear wheels. The brakes are drums all round and are powered by a semi-hydraulic and semi-mechanical system to ensure redundancy in case of a loss of hydraulic pressure.

Suspension is configured for cosseting comfort and consists of a live axle on leaf springs at the back and a very good independent coil system at the front, copied from a 1930s Packard. The shocks are lever-arm, adjustable at the back between a smoother ride or sharper handling.

Our car is reported to run very well as you might expect from a Chauffer company’s car with over £20,000 recently spent. The under-bonnet presentation is very original looking, overall, but would be further improved with a fastidious clean and some general tidying up. There are some nice bits of detail in here, such as the various labelling of parts and mechanics’ instruction plates. The underside looks to be in very good shape for the car’s age and mileage. Plenty of preserving underseal still seems to be present.

The current owner has temporarily mislaid the history file for the car so, currently, only the V5 is pictured and hence known to be present. Aside from that, it has been reported that the car had around £22,000 spent on it in 2019 and this is thought to have been expended on brakes, bodywork and a respray.

We can also confirm that the car is registered as a Historic Vehicle and, as such, is MoT and VED exempt in the UK. The Silver Cloud was MoT tested up until 2017 with the paperwork from that year documenting the mileage as 7,212 miles.

The Silver Cloud, especially in this V8 guise, is becoming increasingly coveted by those in the know. Its previously somewhat overlooked, Cinderella status is firmly in the past as enthusiasts and collectors begin to appreciate the myriad of charms to be found here. The Silver Cloud remains the ultimate expression of automotive luxury with a regal nature that’s, quite literally, fit for a king or queen.

Our example has a lot going for it. It appears to be in a fine overall condition and very much looks the part. Its interior with either appear “utterly charming” or “in need of a retrim” depending on your preference and point of view. In either case they certainly don’t make them like they used to, and this example is likely to represent a promising, and enjoyable, investment for its next owner.

We estimate this vehicle to fetch between £25,000 - £35,000 in auction.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.